


The Price Of Power

by Shmallo



Category: Sleepy Boys Inc., Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Demons, Family Dynamics, Other, Slow To Update, idk - Freeform, no beta reader we die like men, probably going to be discontinued honestly I suck a writing, sbi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25540489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shmallo/pseuds/Shmallo
Summary: Absolute power corrupts absolutelyIf there is a game to be won, you'd best believe Technoblade will sacrifice everything to win it. But when it starts to bleed into reality, it may just take the efforts of his family to stop him getting swept away.![ON HIATUS]!
Relationships: Family Dynamic - Relationship, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 44
Kudos: 270





	1. Chapter 1

A lone figure made his way across the plain. A speck of blood against the vast fields of snow, the wind tugged at his red cape, flapping wildly against the storm. He pulled it tighter around himself, hunching inwards as the blizzard roared around him. Occasionally, he would lift his head to look around, glancing up at the speck of light that was the sun, then back at the bleak landscape before continuing onward. Each step threatened to topple him, each breath was ragged through a cloth-covered mouth.

Yet still, he marched ever onward.

There was no time to think about his own mortality, no time to scour the landscape for salvation, nothing but the compass in his hands. The needle pointed back, so he moved forward, tracing footprints across white expanse. He didn't spare a glance backward, or he would have seen the storm erasing his trail with each passing moment. No, his gaze was fixed to the south, no thought spared for what may lay beyond. So focused he was, that when his boots caught the slight edge of a roof tile, there was nothing he could do to save himself from falling.

He landed in a pile of snow, seemingly only there to break such a fall. He stared up at the circular hole in the ceiling above, a hysterical laugh bubbling across his lips. All this time and the answer had been right beneath his feet!

He rose on shaky legs, stiff from the storm, letting his cape hang lazily from his shoulders. The room wasn't warm, as such, but the blistering, biting cold had no business in there, the icy winds banished beyond its walls. He took in the sapphire pillars, the lapis floor, the words carved into aquamarine tablets and hung above four different exits. He read each one carefully.

_To lose your mind._

_To lose your life._

_To lose your soul._

_To lose it all._

The final sign hovered in his mind, whispering memories into his ear. _If failure is not an option, then neither is success. To succeed, you must be willing to risk it all._ His footsteps echoed loud down the fourth hallway. Apatite walls led him down a twisting path, slowly closing in until his shoulders were too broad to fit through. Still, he pressed onward with back flat against them until at last, it opened up to a cavern.

The walls were smooth and circular, lit by glowing crystal veins that rippled through. Quartz statues of wolves and foxes watched him with cold stone eyes, seemingly carved from the ice themselves. Vaguely, he could hear the blizzard still raging outside. But in the middle, his prize, a glowing white orb hovering above an altar.

Light flooded his vision. It was all he could see. One step closer, then another, until he was striding across the room with outstretched arms. Had he stopped for just a second, he may have seen the statues follow his every movement. He might have seen the writing engraved into the floor. He might have seen the orb's dark centre, pulsing like a heartbeat beneath its milky white skin. But he did not, for the only thing he could think of was his prize in his hands and the taste of victory in his mouth.

He reached out and touched the orb.

It rippled around his fingers, sliding up his hands, wrists, arms, couldn't shake it off. Shoulders, neck, face, down his throat and into his lungs. He breathed it in, sharp and bitter, strong and sweet. It stung and caressed, gentle and harsh as it soaked itself into every inch of his being. Around him, the statues raised their heads and howled, a chorus with the raging storm, and at last, a scream tore from his throat...

And it left nothing but silence.

He looked at his hands, no different than before, then his arms, legs, feet, running fingers across his face to assure him he was the same. The orb was gone, and he turned from the altar, knowing beyond intuition that he had claimed the prize. He walked out of the cavern unchanged. The statues watched him leave.

Outside, the storm had stopped.

O•O•O•O•O

There was very little shelter to be found in Antarctica, they had found, as the wind tore through each house like paper. It was only the watertight hull of a ship that finally gave them protection from the elements outside. And so, they huddled among the old broken wood, as they waited, hoped, for their companion's return.

"Do you think he'll make it?"

"Of course he will," though his voice trembled with uncertainty. "Of course he will."

The minutes dragged on with no end in sight. Their minds began to fill with doubts, of never-ending labyrinths and monsters of unimaginable size. It was only the sound of boards breaking down that startled them out of their anxieties. In the doorway, silhouetted by plains of white, he stood staring down at them. His red cape fluttered in the gentle breeze, though he didn't even shiver as it grazed his skin.

"Did you find it?"

"Of course I did." He held out his hand. "We've won. Now let's go home."

They quit the game. 


	2. Chapter 2

_To all players:_

_Your search is over. The talisman has been found. For most of you, your efforts were in vain. But to those select few, be ready for your world to turn upside down._

Techno stared at the words on his screen, speechless. They'd done it. They'd actually done it. Months of searching, millions worldwide, and out of everyone it was their band of three that won. It didn't quite sink in until he felt arms wrap around him from behind, the endearing ruffle of his hair. Wilbur and Phil grinned down at him.

"We did it! I can't believe we found the talisman!" Phil laughed, squeezing his shoulder. "You're an absolute legend, Techno."

"Bro, Tommy's going to be so mad we got to it first."

On cue, the teenager marched in with a stormy look. "My game just shut down, it's not doing anything other than displaying this stupid message." He waved a hand at his brother's screen. "Looks like some prick found it."

Wilbur swallowed back laughter, Phil raising an eyebrow. Techno simply spun around to face him, deadpan as ever and said, "Well, meet that prick."

They couldn't contain their laughter when Tommy's face transformed into one of cartoonish surprise. "You're joking. You guys _found the talisman without me?"_

"Hey, hey, hey, you can't complain! You specifically said that you wanted to split up because 'we'd just slow you down'. You can't take that back now! Get outta here!"

"I'll have you know I-"

"Tommy, would you kindly mind shutting the fuck up? We're celebrating our victory."

"Without me!"

"How about we _all_ celebrate over dinner. My treat." He held up a hand before Tommy or Wilbur could speak. "And Techno gets to choose."

He mulled over his choices. "As much as I like your cooking, I've been dying to try out the new Italian restaurant down the street."

"Then Italian it is." He took in the plain t-shirts and hoodies they were all wearing, nose wrinkling slightly. "But we're not going out looking like this. Get changed and we'll go in say... fifteen minutes?"

They nodded and each disappeared into their own rooms, four doors simultaneously closing. Techno buzzed with excitement as he slipped into more formal attire. _Your world will turn upside down._ There was much more to gain from the game than a simple night out, though what the prize would ultimately be he had no idea. But after the months of near-obsessive searching, he was ready for something _big._ Wads of cash, perhaps, an expensive holiday? Perhaps notoriety on an international scale. God knows his name didn't already terrify enough gamers.

He slipped on a shirt and went to wait outside, where light snow had begun to drift down in the wind. He wanted to laugh at the snowflakes that danced lazily around his head, to yell at the tepid grey sky. _Is that all you've got?_ After Antarctic blizzards that felt all too real, he could handle the gentle claws of their winter.

"Aren't you cold out there?" Wilbur's face peeked around the door. Techno stared back at him, registering the tiny stings of snow on bare skin. To be honest, he could hardly feel a chill. "Do you want a coat?"

"Eh, I'll be fine," he shrugged, turning away to gaze out at the setting sun. Something hit him in the back of the head. He pulled the coat off his face.

"You're not freezing to death tonight. Phil'd kill me."

Techno chucked and draped it around his shoulders. "Yeah, he probably would. Join me?"

Wilbur slipped out and into the snow. He rubbed his hands against his arms, shivering as the breeze brushed by. "Can't believe you're not cold," he muttered. "But what's up? You seem a little... out of it."

"Do I?"

"You're deathly pale, Techno, and you were spacing out for like, five minutes straight. Are you sure going out to dinner is the right thing?"

"Wil, I'll be fine. Besides, I'll get to rub it in Tommy's face even more."

"If you're sure." He watched the last sliver of sun dip below the horizon. "So what were you thinking about?"

"Just... how funny it is to be back in the real world. I mean, look at this snow, it's pitiful! I reckon the desert would get worse snowstorms than this!"

"Not everyone walked through virtual blizzards, Techno," Wilbur laughed. "But I get what you mean. Hell, I still get whiplash whenever I take off the headset."

"Tell me about it. I'm pretty sure I spent so much time I forgot to _eat_."

"Shhh, Phil might hear!"

"Hear what?" Phil appeared by his shoulder, Tommy at his side. The latter tugged his coat tighter around him, swatting away the elder's hands as he struggled with the toggles.

"I can do it myself!" He continued to fiddle with them to no avail for several moments longer before Techno reached out to do them up for him. Tommy's face went bright red, Wilbur and Phil fighting hard to contain their laughs as Techno finished buttoning it with a condescending pat on the head. "Can we go now?"

"Of course, child. Will you need help with your seatbelt as well?"

"You're a dick, Wil." Wilbur just ruffled his hair in reply and strolled over to the car, beckoning them all to follow. Phil shoved the youngest away from the front seat.

"No way, you're bunking with the 'dick' in the backseat," he smirked and gestured to Wilbur, who was patting the seat beside him enthusiastically. Tommy groaned, slumping against the car.

"You heard the man. Now give me my seat." He was shoved aside as Techno took his place. Wilbur grinned as the youngest brother moodily slid in next to him, arms folded in a slumping sulk. He wrapped an arm around his neck and rubbed his knuckles into Tommy's head, the younger wriggling away beneath his grasp.

"You long-armed mother-"

"Right! Are we all ready to go?"

They all murmured their agreement, and the car was backed out into the street. Techno stared out the window, the stars sparkling down at him. It had been a long few months of madness, sleepless nights spent chasing a dream they didn't even know was possible to catch. He enjoyed the hunt, the adrenaline rush that came with another clue or beating a rival to the answer. But he'd be lying if he said he wasn't glad that life was finally starting to go back to routine once more. Whether it was the playful bickering in the backseat, the bemused smile on Phil's face, or the fact that he could relax without worrying that he'd be buried in the sand before he could blink. It felt so _right._

Normal was just what he needed.


	3. Chapter 3

Techno woke up the next morning to the birds chirping, sunlight streaming through his window, and a headache pounding worse than a jackhammer. He groaned and ran his hands across his face.  _ Why now? Why today? _

Wilbur, in his half-drunken state last night, had suggested that they climb a mountain, or something along those lines (it was difficult to tell with him sometimes, even the ex-English Major had a hard time deciphering it). At the time, they'd waved the idea off, better to let Wil sober up before they gave him any ideas, but in the darkened hours while he and Tommy slept the two had decided that perhaps a trip to the mountains would be a good idea.  _ It'll be therapeutic. Fresh air will do you some good. _

Techno winced as he sat up, a fresh spike of pain lancing through his skull.  _ I doubt that a little 'fresh air' is going to help with this.  _ He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced over at his mirror, hoping he didn't look any more dead than usual. He was met with the familiar dark bags under dulled blue eyes, the tired look that accompanied them. What wasn't familiar, however, was the shock of bright strawberry hair.

He blinked at his reflection. Closed his eyes. Shook his head. The pink strands stayed. He tugged it down in front of his eyes, staring hard at it as if that would make it go away. But it didn't.

He couldn't quite understand how it happened. He hadn't dyed it himself, and unless he suddenly had become an amnesiac overnight, and he was the last to go to bed (as always). Unless they'd snuck in sometime before he'd woken up, which Techno knew they hadn't from the system he'd rigged up last time they pulled a stunt. Somehow, his hair had turned pink all by itself.

The only thing in his mind now was how to hide it.

He glanced out the window. There was snow on his windowsill, icicles dangling from the roof. Perfect weather for a beanie, if he could find one. He dug through his wardrobe, opening and closing drawers at random, in the hopes he'd find what he was looking for, growing more frantic as he heard Phil call out, alerted by his search. He managed to pull out the worn grey fabric and jam it on his head just as he peeked around the door.

"Hey, Techno, are you awake?" He stares at the mess of clothes strewn around the floor. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I was just looking for my snowshoes."

"They're by the door, like they always are."

"Must have forgotten." Phil's eyebrows furrowed. Techno wasn't known for having a short memory unless it was convenient, but there wasn't anything to gain from 'forgetting' boots.

"Alright then. We're going to head out soon, we're getting breakfast on the way, so you should probably clean up before we go."

"Eh, I can just do it when we get back," he shrugged.

"Techno, clean up your room right now, young man." He placed his hands sternly on his, though his eyes retained their laughing light. Techno chuckled.

"You're not my real dad." Somehow, it sounded even stranger in his deep timbre. Phil couldn't keep even a semblance of a straight face.

"Alright, fine," he managed to struggle out between laughs. "Do what you will. But we're leaving soon, so do it quickly." He withdrew from the doorway and wandered back down the hall, still chortling to himself. Techno sighed and looked back at the mess on the ground.  _ Might as well do as he says. _

He picked out an outfit, a red jumper trimmed in white, then packed away the rest of the clothes as quickly as he could. The other three were waiting eagerly by the door for him. Wilbur nudged him as they went to leave.

"Nice jumper, you don't usually wear red."

He shrugged. "Feeling in a 'red' mood, I guess."

"Oi! Are you guys coming?" Tommy stuck his head out of the car window, waving wildly at him. Wilbur grabbed his wrist and dragged him along.

"Come on, Tommy's been bugging me all morning. Phil said we'd be going somewhere special, and he's taken that as an excuse to be as annoying as possible."

Sure enough, the youngest brother was sitting shotgun, an endless stream of chatter bombarding Phil. The subject was quickly turned from the eldest to the two in the backseat, one-sided conversation on anything from the weather to boasting about how he'd 'destroy them all' at whatever it was they were doing. It wasn't until Phil reminded him that he had no idea where they were going he fell into embarrassed silence.

The drive to the mountains was mostly uneventful, the monotonous winding of the road only broken by a quick stop at a cafe for pancakes. After a maple-syrup fueled gluttony, it was another hour and a half before they had reached their destination, a meadow in the middle of a stark, snow-covered forest.

Wilbur was the first one out of the car, scrambling over Techno to escape, falling face-first into the fresh snowdrift. "Freedom!"

"You were only in there for what, three hours?"

"Three hours of torment by Tommy, a pounding headache, and Techno being too absorbed in a book to even notice!"

"It was a good book!"

"Is my sanity not worth more than a simple book?"

"It was a  _ really  _ good book."

Tommy jumped out of the car. "Well, I don't need anyone to save  _ me _ !"

Phil rolled his eyes as he stretched. "Yeah, we know," he muttered. "Now! I heard there's a waterfall not too far from here, it should be frozen over!"

"How far is 'not far'?"

"Oh, a mile or so."

"A mile?!" Tommy and Wilbur stared at him with matching shocked expressions. Techno looked up from the page, smirking lazily at them through hooded eyes.

"We might as well start now, then."

He was awarded a thankful grin by Phil, and two groans from his other brothers, who shook themselves off and trudged after them. For a while, nothing was said, the silence filled with the crunching of freshly fallen snow. Then, Tommy spoke up again.

"I'm bored."

Three heads whipped around to glare at him. "Wow, you don't say."

"I'm serious! Is there anything we can do other than walking?"

"Tom, it's been ten minutes."

Techno rolled his eyes, stooping down to tie his shoe while Wilbur began to shout at the youngest Pandel, Phil struggling to calm the situation down. They were standing toe to toe with each other when a lump of snow hit the tallest square in the back of the head. He turned around to see Techno standing there, tossing another snowball up and down, then threw hard into his face.

Wilbur's lip curled, argument forgotten. He grabbed another fistful of snow and was about to hurl it at him when he felt something cold and wet slide down the back of his neck. Tommy had stuffed slush down his shirt. He whipped around in time to shove the handful into his face. The youngest was dragged down into the snow, pulling Wilbur down behind him. Techno watched from the sidelines as they tussled on the ground in a laughing pile. Phil didn't let him get away that easily, though, sending a snowball flying past his shoulder. Technoblade dodged it with ease and started to sprint away through the forest.

The three gave chase, throwing handful after handful at him, laughing as they went. Dodging through trees, clambering over rocks until one misjudged jump sent them tumbling down the hill in a tangle of arms and legs, coming to rest at Techno's feet. Before they could continue their attack, he held up a hand.

"Look."

They were at the banks of a crystalline river, an icy path to the main attraction, a waterfall that seemed to move despite being frozen in time. It was breathtaking.

"Do you think we can climb it?"

"Tommy, no. The ice isn't thick enough."

"It is!" To prove it, he took a large step out onto the river, then another. The ice didn't creak or groan, but stayed firm beneath his feet. Though he was a little unsteady at first, he beckoned them all to follow. One by one, they followed him out onto the ice.

"Just be careful."

"Phil, we haven't done this in... how long, actually?"

"Give or take three years," Techno supplied helpfully.

"Can we not have some unbridled fun for once?"

Phil pinched the bridge of his nose, thoughts racing through his head at everything that could go wrong. "Fine, but don't do anything stupid."

Wilbur laughed, jumping up and pumping his fist in the air. He landed, and suddenly he couldn't see a reason to celebrate. Where his feet touched the ground, spiderwebs of cracks radiated outward, a sound deep as thunder resonating as it broke apart. Phil grabbed Wilbur's wrist and dragged him off the ice, while Techno shoved Tommy out of the way as a crack came speeding towards him. Techno himself wasn't as lucky. The small floe he was standing on had been isolated by large fissures and was now floating free in the cold water. Tommy was standing on the banks, arms outstretched, while Wilbur and Phil yelled at him to jump. He shifted his weight to leap to safety...

...and found himself falling into the icy depths.


	4. Chapter 4

He was sinking. 

The water drew around him, cold and black, bubbles shining like tiny stars as they escaped his lips. It should have stung his eyes, burned his skin with a blistering chill. He should have been fighting to take another breath, struggling to the surface, he should have been _dying._

But he had never felt so alive.

It encompassed him in a loving embrace, gently caressing him with a touch as delicate as a snowflake. His beanie drifted away, a few strands dancing around his head in the current. Tranquil. Serene. It was quiet, so quiet, just him and his thoughts and the river that connected them.

Then a distant echo. _Techno, Techno,_

"Techno!"

His head burst through the surface, gasping and splashing to keep himself afloat. Gloved hands reached out to grab him, to pull him free, each one so _warm_. Out of the water, onto the frozen ground, crushing the fragile stems of newly sprouting snowdrops. He blinked water out of bleary eyes, hazy faces finally coming into focus.

Wilbur was standing over him, clutching his shoulders tightly. "Techno! Are you alright?"

He tried to speak, only just noticing the weight of the water in his lungs. It grazed his throat as he coughed it onto the grass, leaving his voice shaky and hoarse. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Techno, look me in the eyes. Are you alright?"

He couldn't quite hold his gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"He's not," Phil said bluntly. He reached forward, cupping a hand to his forehead. "Shit, Techno, we just pulled you from an icy river, and you're already burning up! We're going home."

"I said I was fine!"

"And I said we were going home!" There was nothing in his tone to fight against. Techno sighed and collapsed onto the ground. He fiddled with the tiny snowdrop blooms beneath his fingers.

"I don't want to ruin your day out."

"Techno. You're not ruining anything. We'll take you home, and maybe we can have a movie night instead."

"Fine." He let himself be dragged upright onto unstable legs, his arms wound around Wilbur's shoulders for support. With a small nod, he placed one foot in front of the other, ignoring the worried looks he gained, and stumbled forward as best he could.

They trudged back up the mountain, not stopping for breath until they reached the summit. Techno was buried beneath the weight of his brother's coats, though he shivered despite the stifling heat, then bundled into the front seat under Phil's watchful eye. Wilbur stared out the window, nervously tapping out some melody, while Tommy's chatter grew incessant, each sentence more desperate than the last. One question too many and Phil shot him a look that could freeze hell.

He didn't speak again.

By the time they reached the house, Techno's world was spinning, delirium beginning to set in. Phil was forced to scoop him up bridal style, up the stairs and into his room, gently onto his bed. The second his brother was out of his arms, he dusted himself and set to work.

"Tommy, I need you to grab a damp towel. Wilbur, grab the spare blankets, as many as you can." He went to grab the Tylenol from the bathroom cabinet, passing Tommy as he did so. "I said damp, not sopping wet! We don't need to drown him a second time!"

They raced back to the bed, where Wilbur was waiting with a stack of blankets half his height. Phil placed first the damp towel on his forehead, then the blankets one by one on top of Techno, whose eyelids fluttered as he tried to make sense of what was happening. "'M fine..." he managed to slur out, though Phil was having none of it.

"Sit up and swallow this." Despite Techno being his patient, he commanded the same obedience as he did everyone else. Obligingly, Techno dragged himself upright, downing the tablets without water, then collapsing onto the pillows when his eyes couldn't stay open. Phil let him rest. "Get some sleep, you'll feel better soon, I promise."

They watched him until his laboured breaths turned into soft snores. Phil shooed them away with the wave of his hand, closing the door behind him. "I'll make soup. You guys can watch a movie if you want."

While Tommy rushed off for first choice, Wilbur stopped Phil before he too could disappear. "Look, he's going to be alright. Techno's strong, I doubt a fever would do much to stop him."

The eldest blinked gratefully at him. "Thanks, Wil. I don't want to take any chances, though."

"By the way, when did he dye his hair?"

"That wasn't one of you two?"

"No, pretty sure he would have murdered us if we even tried."

"He must have done it last night then." There was something dissatisfied in his eye, though he nodded along slowly as if trying to convince himself. "Yeah, that's it."

He withdrew into the kitchen, trying to drown his thoughts away in the pot of soup he was making. Some things couldn’t be fixed with copious amounts of chicken stock, and one of them was worming its way into the front of his mind no matter how hard he tried to banish it. He had seen something when Techno was in that river. Just a shadow, no face, no form, nothing but the instinct of approaching danger. A feeling, the storm is coming, don't get swept away.

The soup was ready. He served three bowls carefully, two into the lounge where Tommy and Wilbur lay in a tangled mess, staring dully at the screen. The youngest quickly scrambled away as he heard Phil's footsteps against the tile floor, face flushing bright red. The eldest only gave him a bemused smile, handing them both their dinner. The third bowl he delivered to Techno's room.

"Hey? Techno, I need you to wake up for me."

There was a groan from his feverish brother, who rolled over with half-lidded eyes. "Mm?"

"I have some dinner, it'll make you feel better."

As Techno's eyes snapped open, Phil almost dropped the bowl of soup he was holding. Blue eyes stared into startling crimson, blinking innocently back at him. "What?"

"Can you see?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Your glasses were lost in the river, I thought you'd be missing them, that's all."

"I've been asleep, idiot," he chuckled softly, words still slurring together. Phil smiled gently at him.

"Are you feeling better?"

"A little. Headache's still a bitch."

"Is it?"

"Mhm." His eyelids were drooping now, head tilting slightly downwards, threatening to fall back asleep. The bowl of soup was pushed towards him.

"You can eat this on your own, right? I don't have to spoon-feed you?"

"I'm sure I can manage. You should go and have your own dinner."

"How did you know I hadn't eaten?"

"Because I know you too well, Phil. Now go, before I have to drag you down there myself. You wouldn't make a sick man do that, would you?"

"Fine, fine! I'll go. But make sure you eat too, you need that energy to get better."

"Alright, I will." He watched as the door shut behind him, smiling to himself. He sighed and leaned back against the pillows, cradling the soup against his chest. For as long as they could remember, Phil had always been the caretaker, bearing the weight of responsibility when others came to him with problems. Techno wondered how he did it.

In the kitchen, Phil was staring pensively into his own bowl, wondering the same thing. Upstairs, Techno was burning up, a fever higher than he thought humanly possible, strange symptoms he'd never even heard of before. For once in his life, he didn't know how to help, and that terrified him more than he liked to admit.

"Phil! There you are!" He was startled out of his thoughts by Wilbur looking over him. He plastered a smile across his face. "Tommy got bored with the movie and is now wanting to play monopoly. I thought you might want to join."

"Sure, I'll be there in a second."

He shoved the half-eaten bowl of soup away, banishing his thoughts with it. He would find a way to fix things.

He had to.

O•O•O•O•O

Midnight. Cold, dark. A scream rips through the silence of the house.

Phil is first to his feet. He sprints down the stairs, two at a time and locks eyes with Wilbur across the hall. Tommy's door is closed, and when they push it open, he's still fast asleep under a thick blanket, soft snores in rhythm with the rise and fall of his chest.

Another scream bounces off the walls.

When they get to Techno's room, he's hunched over on the bed, clawing at his chest. The curtains are open; the moonlight paints his pink hair in a pale glow, his eyes shine like rubies against the darkness. He doesn't seem to register their presence.

"Techno? Techno, what's wrong?"

No reply. Phil pried his hands from his shirt, fighting the urge to recoil. Techno's hot, almost unbearably so, and it sears into his flesh. _Drop it, let him go,_ his muscles screamed at him, but he would not - _could_ not - while his brother was in pain. Wilbur wasn't as strong, and his hand was retracted as quickly as it was offered.

"Hey, Techno, we're here, just tell us what's wrong?"

He can't speak between gasps, chest heaving, in and out, in and out. The wind rattles at the locked window, the storm that had been brewing coming to fruition in massive blasts of snow and sleet. The lock, now frozen, shatters, and the gale invades the room with an antagonising howl, the door slams shut behind them. It doesn't seem to bother Techno; indeed, it appears to bend around him, touching not a hair on his head.

He screamed again, and the air rippled around him, growing only more forceful with every breath. Phil and Wilbur had no choice but to hold tight to him or be thrown against the wall with the force of a gale. Even the blistering heat was better than a concussion. Techno twitched at the touch.

"Techno, is this you?" It was a swirling column of snow around them, now. "Techno, you have to stop this! Calm down!"

No confirmation that he'd heard them, just a slight squeeze of their hands and his eyes closed in concentration. The storm was slowly subdued, falling from a howl to a wail to a whisper, then nothing. The room was eerily still. Phil breathed a sigh of relief.

There’s a loud tear; not fabric, but flesh, accompanied by a blood-curdling shriek. Techno whimpered in pain as he keeled over, his brothers too scared to let go. They watched in shock as two black, leathery wings unfurled themselves from his back, snapping open with deadly force. One shattered the window, the other, a mirror, silver shards raining down over their head. Wilbur, who had been speechless, looked up at Techno in horror. "What are you?"

His words were hollow as he answered.

"I don't know."


	5. Chapter 5

They woke up in a field. The sky was blazing blue above their heads, and they groaned as the bright light stung their eyes.

"Ugh, where are we?"

Phil looked around, feeling the long grass beneath his fingers, then the forest that surrounded it. Over the hill, the vast expanse of the ocean was a blue ribbon on the horizon. There was something vaguely familiar about it all, though he was sure that he'd never visited it before. "I don't know."

Wilbur offered him a hand and pulled him upright. Next to them lay Techno, hands clasped across his chest, eyes gently closed. He looked peaceful, despite the large wings that were spread comfortably out against his back. Phil reached out tentatively to touch him, pulling away when Techno's eye's suddenly snapped open, staring up at them both with pools of deep red.

"What happened? Where am I?"

"What happened? _What happened?_ You tell me, _Technoblade,_ " spat Wilbur. "You woke up screaming in the middle of the night, caused a blizzard, and grew wings for crying out loud! And now we're in who knows where because of you!"

Techno shrunk back with each word. Phil noted the small step he took backward, the subtle shift of his new-found limbs as they drew around him. A cloud fell over the sun, casting a shadow across them both. It only highlighted the power difference between them, with Wilbur looming above an almost cowering Techno. Surely he'd do something, but oh, _oh,_ Wilbur was fuming.

Cold, hard rage shone in his eyes, his hands balled into barely contained fists by his sides. Tousled hair captured his scowl in darkness, ominous, leering, and Phil was suddenly reminded how terrifying Wilbur could be. All he could do was warn him not to go too far, and hope for the best. "Will, be careful-"

"Shut up, _Phillip._ He got us here, he's going to damn well get us back."

"Wilbur, I don't know what happened! I don't know what I did, let alone how to do it again!"

"Great, so you conveniently forget it! How helpful!"

"I'm sorry-"

"You're useless!" They both winced at his words, though Wilbur took no notice. "I don't know what you are, but what I do know is you're a monster for doing this to your own family! How fucking heartless can you be?!"

"Wilbur, that's enough." Phil's voice is quiet, though it still demands to be obeyed. The sky is overcast, and his glower matches Wilbur's glare in both heat and intensity. The breeze tugs at the tallest's fringe. He does not notice either of them.

"Oh, and you're so much help as well, aren't you Phil? What are you going to do? Sprout a pair of wings as well, and fly over the rainbow? No! You can do nothing!"

"You know what I can do, Wilbur? I can do my fucking best to keep this family together. So you'd better sort yourself out _real_ quick, because I'm not dealing with this bullshit for however long we're here."

"You're taking _his_ side? Over _min_ e?"

"Y'know, Wilbur, there are worse things than waking up in some random place. Like, oh, I don't know, going through excruciating pain while you grow an entirely new set of limbs!"

"You're both focusing on the wrong thing." They turn to look at Techno, voice as thin as the grass that blows in the wind. "Sure, we're in some unknown place and have no way of getting back. So what?"

"Your point?"

"My point is that we may be here. But Tommy's not."

O•O•O•O•O

A cold breeze blew through the house. Even under the quilt and layers of blankets, Tommy shivered in the depths of sleep. Slowly, his eyelids began to flutter, murmuring softly as he stirred. "Mmm, Wil? Would you turn the heater on?"

There was no reply. He sat up, blinking in the early morning, trying to fully shake himself awake. Eventually, he managed to shrug off his haze of sleep and gained enough courage to exit the warm haven of his bed, padding across the hall to wake up Wilbur.

The door was ajar. _Odd,_ he thought. _He always keeps it shut at night._ Didn't matter. He pushed the door open.

There was no-one.

The bed was in a mess, sheets tangled, blankets on the floor. Tommy sat down, feeling the mattress beneath him. Cold. It hadn't been slept on for hours. His breath caught in his throat. There was no clamour in the kitchen, no background hum of the TV, only the pounding of his heart loud in his ears.

He raced upstairs, breathing hard as he struggled to keep tears from falling. A door on the left, one on the right. Left, vacant, hollow. Phil had left it neat as ever, but the immaculate room felt uncanny, echoing the life that it desperately needed. Tommy closed the door behind him and stared at the last bedroom.

He opened the door.

Glass. Thousands upon thousands of tiny fragments glittered on the floor like diamonds. Snow. A pile by the window, stray snowflakes dancing in the breeze that whistled through the jagged remains of the window. There's a bowl of soup on the bedside table, frozen over by the winter's breath.

He picked his way across the minefield of broken glass, over to Techno's bed where a large wooden frame lay upside down on the covers. Gently, he flipped it over. There were brightly coloured arrows drawn in glitter, pointing to the centre where a large mirror should have been. The words 'best brother ever' were haphazardly scrawled over in a child's handwriting. It had been a present for Techno, handmade at age five, and now his tears fell on the silver slivers that were left. He hugged it to his chest, not caring as the shards left tugged and caught on his shirt, and raced back down, flinging the front door open.

When he had given the gift to Techno, he had promised he'd never take it down, and for eleven years, he hadn't. Now, it was in pieces scattered across the floor, and his brother - his _brothers_ \- gone. As he sat on the front step, not caring about the freezing wind that pierced through his clothing, the world watched TommyInnit cry.


End file.
